Srinagar- Senior National Conference leader, former minister and uncle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, died here on Tuesday after a prolonged illness, his family said.

Kamal, the younger brother of National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital where he breathed his last. He was 83.

Before fully committing to political life, Kamal pursued a career in medicine, earning his MBBS degree from the Sawai Mansingh Medical College in Jaipur, Rajasthan, in 1962.

His legislative career began with the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council, where he served from 1983 to 1987.

He was later elected as MLA representing the Gulmarg and Pattan constituencies in the Baramulla district.

Throughout this period, Kamal held various high-profile cabinet portfolios across multiple state administrations, specifically serving as a minister in the governments formed in 1983, 1987, and 1996.